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(No Model.)

G. A. WASHBURN. SECONDARY BATTERY.

No. 451,541. Patented May 5,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EETCE GEORGE A. \VASHBURN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FORD & IVASHBURN, OF SAME PLACE.

SECON DARY BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent bio/151,541, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed October 24, 1890. Serial No. 369,181. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. \VASHBU RN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage-Batteries; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to storage-batteries, and is an improvementin the form of battery shown and described in my application, Serial No. 359,666, filed July 23,1890.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly sectioned horizontally at the right, of a battery-cell containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cell with one side and end removed to disclose the internal construction. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of an inclosing case with two compartments having two separate cells, and showing the cell materials in position.

As stated in the application upon which this invention is an improvement, the cell consists in an outside containing-vessel A, of hard rubber, glass, orother suitable material, acu p B, of lead or other conducting material forming a lining for the receptacle, and an inner perforated conducting-plate O, set a suitable distance from the cup B, so that active material may be placed between said cup and plate.

D represents a porous cup, E a series of perforated conducting-tubes open attheir bottom and top, and F an inside perforated-tube open at both ends, oblong in cross-section, so as to have fiat sides opposite the tubes E.

In this construction of battery the positive electrode is preferably arranged within the porous cup, and,inasn1uch as there is a tendency in the positive electrode to grow or expand more or less, I have found it necessary, in order to protect the porous cup from being sprung open or broken by such expansion, to so construct the conducting-plates that they will accommodate themselves to whatever ex pansion may occur, and thus save the cup. This is accomplished by making either the inside tube F alone in such a form that it will accommodate the lateral pressure exerted by the material in expansion or by making the tubes E to take up the expansion, or by constructing both with a View to the same result. Ordinarily in a cup oblong in cross-section, substantially as here shown, the inner tube F with flat sides alone serves the purpose of relieving the pressure, the dotted lines showing the position which the said tube may assume when acted upon by the lateral pressure in the cup or pot. Said tube may be made whole, as shown in the drawings, or it maybe formed in a single piece with overlapping free edges, or it may be made in parts or pieces which overlap. The tubes E are shown here as having overlapping free edges d, so that they likewise will accommodate themselves somewhat to the expansion of the material within the porous cup; but they may be made whole.

The invention which I desire to cover consists in so forming the conducting -plates, whatever shape they may be made or assume,

that when arranged within the porous cup they will, by reason of their construction, accommodate themselves to any expansion of the material that may occur, and thus preserve the cup intact, while at the same time they form open spaces within themselves for the battery-liquid. The active material is placed between the tubes E and the cup I) and the central tube F, while the said tubes themselves are filled with liquid. These tubes are liberally perforated, as shown in Fig. 2, so that there is the utmost exposure of the active material to the liquid and that freedom of circulation through the cell which is deemed necessary to the perfect working and highest efficiency of the battery.

I do not wish to be considered as limiting myself to any special material forming the tubes E and F or to any special form of said tubes or parts. For greater economy and efficiency of the battery these tubes or conductors are constructed of material which will .be in sympathy with the active material in its work-such, for example, as lead or the like.

The battery thus constructed is coupled up in the usual way, the tubes or their equivalent within the porous cup forming the conductors for the inner electrode, and the lining B and the inner wall or plate 0 forming the conductors for the outer electrode, and either may be positive or negative, as may be deemed best, although I prefer to make the inner electrode the positive one.

111 Fig. 3 I show an arrangement of two cups constructed on this principle, contained in a double-compartment receptacle.

It will be understood that the space between the porous cup and the plate or wall 0 is filled with solution which of course, will readily work through the porous cup into contact w ith the active material in said cup.

In the event a round cylindrical porous pot be used the compressible tube or tubes will be constructed to adapt them to that form of cup, which may be by overlapping edges or in any other suitable manner.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a storage-battery cell, a porous pot containing active material and conductors in the pot constructed to form an open space in the pot for solution and to yield under lateral pressure or expansion, substantially as described.

2. A storage-battery cell containing a perous cup, conductors in said cell constructed to be more or less compressed by the expansion of the active material, and active material in said cup about said conductors, substantially as described.

3. In a storagebattery, a porous cup, a compressible tube or tubes of conducting material in the cup, and active material about the tube or tubes, in combination with an electrode outside said cup and solution within and without the cup, substantially as described.

t. In a storage-battery, a porous cup containing hollow compressible conductors, in combination with an electrode outside of the cup, formed of opposed conducting-plates, and active material between said plates and in the porous cup, substantially as described.

\Vitness my hand to the foregoing specification this 20th day of October, 1890.

GEORGE A. WASI'IBURN.

Witnesses:

II. T. FISHER, NELLIE L. MoLANn. 

